May (and Mei) in Winter
by TwinklingCupcake
Summary: On Winter Thanksgiving, two girls bake chocolate cakes. And an extra third cake appears. [Written for the Short and Sweet Prompt in the Village Square Forums.]


While her grandfather worked the store, fifteen-year-old May was in the kitchen, pulling out bowls and cooking utensils. The outside was cold, snowy with a layer of ice on the ground, but the kitchen was warm from the pre-heating oven. It was Winter Thanksgiving, and like every year May was making her grandfather a cake. True, many girls gave chocolate to their lovers and friends, but May found no reason to exclude family from this special day. There were all kinds of love, after all.

Besides, Barley gave her her favorite cookies every Spring Thanksgiving, so it was fair.

She was pulled away from her work by a tiny knock at the door. Certainly not a customer; customers just walked right in. So May went to answer the door herself. And who she found outside was...

"Well, if it isn't Small Mei!" May laughed upon seeing the little girl.

"Hi, Big May!" Mei cried, removing her pink hat.

When Mei had been born, the other villagers had taken to calling the two 'Big May' and 'Small Mei' in conversation to avoid confusion. May herself had found it funny, and so she and her 'little cousin' had adopted the nicknames for themselves.

May let the little girl in, closing the door behind her and taking her scarf. "What can I do for you?"

"You know how to cook, right?"

"Of course, Anna taught me when I was twelve."

"Well! Well I was wonderin'!" Mei's face started flushing with excitement, and she started hopping in place. "Can you teach me to make chocolate cake? Little ones, for Winter Thanks' Fest?"

May smiled. "You want to give someone chocolate?"

"Yup!" Mei beamed proudly. "Māma's making Bàba some, an' I wanna make one too!"

"Why don't you ask your mama to help you?" But even as May said this, she led Small Mei into the kitchen and rolled up her sleeves.

"Well, I tried..." Mei pouted and scuffed the floor with her toe. "But I jus' got in the way, and she almos' dropped all the eggs."

May couldn't help but laugh. She could just see Claire, nearly tripping over her daughter, yelping as eggs tumbled to the floor. She'd seen the same thing happen to Manna during the cooking lessons she and May both attended, as Mary's new kitten frolicked underfoot. "Well," she said, setting a stool down for Small Mei, "let's not let that happen here, okay?" When Mei giggled and climbed up to see over the counter, May added "We're going to cook at the same time, okay? I'll go very slowly, and you try to copy me. If you need any help, tell me."

"Okay!"

The cooking lesson went remarkably smoothly. Small Mei was attentive and careful, and only needed a little bit of help cracking eggs. May found that she liked to experiment with the recipe, too - Small Mei broke up a chocolate bar into the batter for 'chocolate chips,' and squirted a tiny bit of honey into it. She was certainly her mother's daughter; May remembered Claire adding all sorts of fresh fruit to her home-made ice-cream.

The mess was minimal, and with Small Mei learning so quickly, it was no time at all before both cakes were in the oven. Small Mei squatted in front of it, her chin in her hands, watching the cakes rise and solidify. Behind her, May pulled out a white cake box.

Small Mei turned, alerted by the noise. "What's that?"

"It's a box to take your cake home in! You don't want it to get cold or fall into the snow, do you?"

Small Mei's eyes widened in horror as she shook her head, likely imagining the disaster clear as day.

Another short time later, May was handing the box (now warm from the cake inside) over to Small Mei while her own cake sat cooling on the counter. "Are you sure you don't need my help decorating?" she asked. "It'd make your papa really happy-"

"Nuh-uh, it's okay!" Small Mei chirped, jamming her hat back on her head. "Māma has icing at home, I told her to save me some!"

"Well, alright then." May smiled, opening the door. "Be careful on your way home!"

"I will! Thanks for the lesson, Big May! Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye!" May watched Small Mei walk down the street, only closing the door when the girl turned the corner towards home. She smiled as she headed back into the kitchen, past her grandfather in the store part of the house. She still had a chocolate cake to decorate.

* * *

It was nearly seven at night when there was another knock at the door.

"May, I'm doing dishes, could you get that?" Barley called.

"Yes, Grandpa!" May opened the door, and blinked at who it was. "Small Mei! What are you doing here - isn't it your bedtime?"

Small Mei stood in front of her once again, wearing her winter clothes and holding a white cardboard box. A few feet behind her, Claire and Won stood waiting with smiles on their faces. "Almos'!" Small Mei said. "But I wanted to give you this first!" She held up the box, letting May take it. It was a little heavy, so clearly she wasn't simply returning the box. "Happy Thanks' Fest, Big May!" And with that, she turned around to jog back to her parents.

Once the door was closed again, May looked at the box. On the top was a note from Claire: "I know it's not Spring Thanksgiving, but Mei was so thankful and excited." Having a feeling of what it was inside, May opened the box.

Inside was a small, heart-shaped chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting and powdered sugar in the shape of a smaller heart. In pink letters were words: 'To Big Sis May. ❤ Small Mei."


End file.
